Review by Booklist Review
The police believe that law student Becca Eckersley knew her murderer. What they can't figure out is who would have followed this likable young woman to her parents' second home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and beaten her to death. Chapters going back a little more than a year before her death show Becca to be a dedicated student with a small group of devoted friends. As the chapters draw down to the months before her death, it becomes clear that at least one of her friendships was not what it had seemed. Recovering from a haunting episode in her own life, journalist Kelsey Castle is in Summit Lake investigating the case for her magazine and uncovering secrets some very powerful people would like to keep hidden. Debut author Donlea keeps the reader racing through the chapters about Becca's past, trying to stay one step ahead of the present-day investigation. Fans of contemporary suspense will enjoy this brisk read.--Keefe, Karen Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Horrible things happen in Conlea's uneven debut, starting with the murder of first-year law student Becca Eckersley in her family's stilt house in the Blue Ridge Mountains tourist town of Summit Lake, N.C. Penn Courtney, the editor of Events Magazine, assigns reporter Kelsey Castle to dig into the story, which is starting to receive national attention. Penn's ulterior motive is to allow Kelsey additional time to recover from a recent trauma. Despite the Eckersley family's efforts to obfuscate matters, Kelsey explores Becca's history, including her bonds with three fellow students and a faculty member at George Washington University. Refreshingly, Kelsey stresses repeatedly that she isn't trying to solve the murder or get in the way of the professionals assigned to do so. Most of the other people involved, however, take a detached, almost academic approach toward the case. The reader gets little sense that anyone is mourning Becca. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
[DEBUT] Following a personal trauma, investigative reporter Kelsey Castle decides to return to work early but resents being sent away almost immediately to do a fluff piece in a tiny North Carolina town. However, the savage murder of Becca Eckersley, a young female law student whose father is positioning himself for a judgeship, is not fluff, especially when it seems like a cover-up is in play. It's difficult to write a credible piece without any background information or facts, so Kelsey enlists the help of some locals and races to learn more about Becca and who would want to kill her. During the course of her reporting, Kelsey is forced to face her own recent trauma and fights to free herself from its hold on her life. Verdict Debut author Donlea effectively uses alternating chapters to tell Kelsey's and Becca's stories while introducing enough potential perps to keep readers guessing throughout. The whodunit plot is so clever and compelling that readers will forgive the spots of unnecessary dialog and the frequent overwrought descriptions of the sun, sky, and other location elements. For fans of nonstop mysteries with a twist.-Samantha Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
